Additiv tillverkning

Question 1

Additiv tillverkning (240826) (3p)

• Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is known for offering several key benefits, such as design freedom and the ability to create lightweight structures.
• Components with complex structures can be easily prepared using AM.

Discuss how true the above statements are (you may answer true, partially true, or false), and explain accordingly. In your answer, explain how the complexity of a design impacts the cost in metal additive manufacturing. Additionally, compare how cost and complexity are related in AM versus conventional manufacturing methods.

Answer 1

The statements are generally correct. (One may answer ‘partially correct’, in the sense that it depends on factors as below).

Metal AM allows for the creation of lightweight structures and highly complex geometries that are difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. Since AM can build directly from a 3D model, the complexity of the design does not significantly increase the manufacturing cost, especially when the lot size is low. Please see the following figures showing how the cost of components manufactured by AM and conventional methods
changes with complexity and lot size. (Se “MPR095 Tenta 2024-08-26 Lösning.pdf” för bilderna som refereras till)

Question 2

Process parameter optimization (240826) (3p)

Imagine you are working as an engineer for an aerospace company. You are asked to develop a defect-free wing component for an aircraft using metal additive manufacturing. Briefly describe the important process parameters that must be optimized to ensure the creation of a defect-free component!

Answer 2

The important process parameters for defect-free component in metal additive manufacturing can be categorized as below.

1. Laser and machine related parameters: Laser-based parameters determine the energy input and control the interaction between the laser beam and the powder. They include laser power, hatch spacing, layer thickness, scan strategy, laser beam diameter (spot size), etc.
2. Powder related parameters: Powder-related parameters determine the properties of the powder material and affect its melting point, thermal conductivity, and chemical properties. They include material composition, purity, powder size and particle size distribution, density, powder flowability, and morphology.